Jan. 14, 2013
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by Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

by Robert Bianco, USA TODAY

In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, violence on TV - and its effect on children - is once again a contentious topic.

It's a discussion PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger welcomes, in part because PBS has always been a safe harbor for children. "We think very carefully about that images that are in front of children that may to some seem benign, but children observe a lot. . . . With our prime-time schedule that hasn't been an issue, because the types of programming you're talking about haven't found a home on our schedule."

As a more direct response to the shootings, the public service will devote the week of Feb. 18 to an After Newtown series of specials designed as a public conversation on gun laws, mental illness and school security. Among the shows taking part are Frontline, NOVA, Need to Know and Washington Week With Gwen Ifill.

That kind of focus and depth, says Kerger, is why people turn to public broadcasting. "PBS is not the place to go for breaking news. . . . Where we can add to the conversation is to kind of step back and say, OK, what are the big issues and where does this take us."

Public broadcasting, of course, has long been one of TV's primary outlets for high-quality news and documentary programming. But for years, the only scripted dramas on PBS were found under the Masterpiece or Mystery umbrellas. Now though, thanks to the massive success of Downton Abbey, you can expect to see more scripted shows in other time slots, such as the three-part murder mystery The Bletchley Circle, which will air Sunday nights at 10 ET/PT starting April 21. The reason, says Kerger, is that the service is now "in the wonderful position of having more work" than can fit in Masterpiece.

As for questions about the future of PBS' hottest property, Downton Abbey, in terms of who may or may not be returning next season, Kerger jokingly calls out in the press conference, "No spoiler in this room! There are still a lot of people who don't know the outcome."

Of course, PBS could avoid those spoilers by airing Downton in the fall, when the Brits do, rather than holding it until January. "This is a question of great debate," says Kerger. "It's complicated for a lot of reasons." For one, the British version airs with commercials, so it must be re-edited. And for another, Kerger says, PBS is wary of throwing Downton into the teeth of the networks' fall launch, particularly since it gets much more attention in January.

"I think a little bit about the Olympics. We knew what the outcomes were but we were still watching every night."

It was in many other ways a hot year for PBS, from Mitt Romney's attack on PBS funding during the debates - an attack, Kerger says, that allowed the network to make a renewed pitch for funding - to the scandal surrounding the puppeteer behind Elmo, Kevin Clash, who has been accused of inappropriate contact with young men.

Without commenting on the accusations, Kerger says "The character of Elmo is larger than any individual . . . I have not seen negative impact, certainly to PBS Kids, and Elmo continues on the air."

Also coming to PBS:

- This fall, PBS will debut Latino Americans, a three-part, six-hour documentary the chronicles the history of America's largest minority group. The series will be narrated by Benjamin Bratt.

- Sherlock fans, take note. Come fall, PBS will air How Sherlock Changed the World, a two-hour special that examines the impact the fictional Sherlock Holmes has had on real-world criminal investigations.

- Also coming sometime this year is A Brief History of Mine, an autobiographical documentary about physicist Stephen Hawking. Among those participating are "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., Jim Carrey, Benedict Cumberbatch and Richard Branson.